CAUGHT IN BETWEEN 2 WORLDS
by The Several
Summary: Max & Monica defeated the Dark Genie, but Monica can't go back to her own time due to a mistake, so she has to stay with him. Is this their opportunity to confess to each other? And is the Dark Element really gone? [DONE]
1. Continue

**CAUGHT IN-BETWEEN TWO WORLDS**

_Dark Cloud 2_ Fanfic

**Chapter 1: Continue----**

By The Several

NOTE: I do not own Dark Cloud 2, and all that jibba-jabba

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_Once upon a time, there was a place, a world, that had two moons. A red one, and a blue one. Both these moons showed up brightly on the night sky for everyone to see._

_But that story isn't true. There had always been one moon. Always has, always been._

_One was a real moon, but what about the other? No, it wasn't a moon but rather, it was a star. A star that nearly ended that world and its inhabitants, due to a certain darkness that once befell that land._

_But just because it wasn't true, it doesn't mean that anyone should stop talking about it. They are stories, legends, that are either passed down or lost forever._

_But once, two spherical objects did glow at the night sky. Why did it change? One tale told of two children with opposite attitudes. A smart, happy-go-lucky inventor, and a magic-using, sword-wielding princess._

_These two, who have never even heard of each other before, joined together in a certain destiny to save the world. At least, that's what the stories told._

_But is it a story so important? A story that most likely only passed through the tongue, and not really experienced?_

_It doesn't matter. Stories are memories, but is that all they can ever be?_

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"Whooh!" Max exclaimed with a huff. He had just taken lumps of Zelmite ore out of the mines. These ore minerals were to be used as fuel for the train, so they can finally reopen the Blackstone Railroad. "Hah, hah….Man, I can't take no more…hah, hah…" Max exhaled as he sat down on the ground.

"You're so weak, Max. Suck it up!" Monica arrived behind him, with a bigger piece of Zelmite ore on her shoulder and looking a lot less tired.

"I can't help it, I'm not as strong as you," Max replied, breathing heavily.

"Oh, c'mon!" Monica said as she put down the huge mineral down on the ground. "You're a guy! You can't show that you're weaker than me! It's pathetic!"

Max laughed. "Why, Miss Monica, since when have you been a chauvinist?" Max said jokingly.

"Oh please!" Monica said as she crossed her arms. "I was only trying to get you to stop whining."

"Yes, ma'am!" Max replied with a less sarcastic salute. "By the way, thanks for helping out with the Zelmite gathering."

"Shouldn't you get back to your own time?" Max continued. "I mean, we're done with dealing with the evil and all that…"

Indeed, they had defeated the new evil that arised from the depths of the Zelmite Mines, only known as the Dark Genie. She had no more reason to stay.

"Are there any more reasons you want to stay?"

"W-ell," Monica replied slowly. "I do, but I'm not telling you," she replies with a wink towards Max. Max just blushed, and wondered what the heck she meant. Max may _be_ a great thinker, but more than that, he's pretty dense.

"C'mon, let's get back to work!" Monica shouts at Max as she runs towards the mine entrance to gather some more ore.

Max stands up and follows. It was just a normal day.

**To be continued…**

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Hey, everybody! Thanks for reading my fic. Yes, it IS pretty slow at the start, but I hope you'll enjoy it as much as you might have enjoyed my first one "Distortion to the Forbidden", if not more so. I'm trying to put all my writing-skills, mind, soul (which I hadwillingly sold last Tuesday), and money (okay, not really money) on this so it doesn't end up like an ordinary story. Go on and read the next chapter!


	2. Feelings

**CAUGHT IN-BETWEEN TWO WORLDS**

_Dark Cloud 2 _Fanfic

**Chapter 2: Feelings----**

By The Several

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After a hard day of hauling Zelmite from the mines back and forth, Max and Monica know they deserve a rest. But there was a little problem…

"You can't go back to your own time?" asked Max surprisingly.

"Well, you see…" explained Monica. "...I used a Starglass to go back in time, right? Because we don't have Atlamillia anymore to do so."

"Well, I forgot to bring another one to get back. So now, I'm kinda stuck," Monica finalized.

"Oh great… Well, what now? You need a place to stay, right? Why not sleep with me?" Max offered.

"W-What?" Monica said, her face red as beet. "I-In your house?"

"Sure, we have plenty of room. My father made a lot of other bedrooms for guests."

"Oh," Monica said, her posture regained. "That's what you meant."

"Huh?" Max asked, confused.

"No, no!…. it's nothing!…Well, are we going or not?"

"Okay, let's go!" Max replied as he led the way. Monica followed, but at a slower pace for she was lost in thought. _Huh, look at the way he walks. He's like a little kid! Look at him walking around like some innocent child… He's so confident, and doesn't even care about who sees him, as long as he can be himself…I wonder if I can be like that?…_

By this time, Max has noticed that she was lagging behind somewhat. So he turned around, alerting Monica and stopping her from her daydream. They paused for a minute.

"You have a question in your eyes," Max finally said.

"Huh?…Ah, oh…" Monica said, stumbling in her words. She doesn't know what to say, so she moved beside Max and they started walking on the same pace.

They walked for several minutes without speaking. Then Monica suddenly blurted out, "So, I heard you liked that Claire girl?"

In that instant, they stopped walking. Monica put her hands to her mouth and looked away. _Oh man, what the heck did I just say? I feel like such an idiot… I'm probably looking totally guilty now…_

But not so surprisingly, Max replied, "Yeah, I do…. Why do you ask?"

Monica removed her hands from her face. She realized Max really IS dense as a rock, so he doesn't know what she's actually thinking. So to stop it from being any more awkward, she decides to walk along again. Realizing that she could get more out of this, she continued the conversation.

"So, is there anything between you two?" Monica asked again.

Max thought for a minute, and then said, "Yeah, we're pretty close."

_So I thought_, Monica said to herself. _He does like somebody else…_

"Hey, wait a minute…." Max suddenly exclaimed. "Why the questions? Is there something you want to tell me?" Max looked straight into Monica's eyes. Monica, however, couldn't look at him, and her eyes averted elsewhere.

Monica was panicking. She was obviously acting too suspicious. With no other choice, she hesitatingly decides to cover the akwardness of the situation.

"I… I was just curious," Monica explained tremblingly. "B--ecause I have a boyfriend in my time and he looked a little like you, so…"

Monica, of course, was lying. Maybe she didn't just want to look so pathetic with the way she was acting. No matter. She had her reasons.

Max, on the other hand, only replied, "…Really? I'd like to meet him sometime."

"Uh, sure…" Monica replied back. She was smiling at Max, but inside, she felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart.

They continue on walking to Max's house. They didn't say a word to each other for several minutes, when Max said, "Hey, uh, you continue on to my house. You know where it is, right?"

"Where are you going?" Monica asked.

"I… I just need to visit someone."

"Oh…okay," Monica replied. They separated, and Monica went on to his house. There, Monica waited for him to return.

_He probably went to Claire's_, Monica thought. _Max, you're such a jerk…_

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Max arrived at the pond near Doctor Dell's house. He looked at the water, and there, he stared aimlessly. The water's movements gave him a sense of peace. And after a few moments, he exhaled, and then took out a small palm-sized box from his pocket.

He opened it, and he looked at what was inside. It was a jeweled ring. He stared at it for a few seconds, and then said to himself, "I guess I won't be giving this…"

He closed the box, and then he threw it into the middle of the pond. There, it sank to the bottom… Max left and walked towards home.

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Max arrived at his house. There, Monica was waiting for him. Monica ran to him saying, "Why the heck are you all wet?"

Max was silent for a moment, and then replied, "I… fell into the pond." With that, they started to go inside so Max could get changed.

…_Maybe someday…_ Max said to himself.

**To be continued…**

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Hey, thanks for reading chapter 2 if this fic! The story's finally picking up. And I know some of you don't get what happened in the ending, as to why he 'fell' into the pond (note quotations). If you don't, read again, and maybe you will. I'll be updating chapter 3 in a few days, so until then!


	3. To Sleep, Is to Dream

**CAUGHT IN-BETWEEN TWO WORLDS**

_Dark Cloud 2 _Fanfic

**Chapter 3: To Sleep, is to Dream----**

By The Several

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Max and Monica were getting ready for bed. Max gave Monica her own room in his house for her to sleep in. They greeted each other goodnight, and went inside their rooms.

But in the middle of the night, Monica went to the kitchen for a drink. When she tried to get back to her room, she couldn't remember the way. She wandered around the hallways for several minutes, but she couldn't find it. After a few more minutes of searching inside Max's house (it's more of a mansion actually), she bumped into Max around a curve.

"Monica, what are you doing, wandering around the hallway?" Max asked her.

"Max, am I glad to see you! I went to your kitchen for a drink, but now I can't find the room you gave me! Your house is too darn big."

"Oh," Max laughed. "Sorry 'bout that. Here, I'll lead you to the way."

"Can't I have a bed somewhere close? I don't really like sleeping far away from everybody else." Monica requested.

Max thought for a minute, and then said, "Okay, follow me." Max began to lead her. "Why don't we just sleep in the same room? I know a room where there are two beds."

Monica became red. _In the same room? _she asked herself. "Uh…. sure!" she said hesitatingly. She then followed Max to where the room was located.

Indeed, it did have two beds. They were both the same size, and they were almost connected to each other, only being separated by a small table.

"Pick any bed you want. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to change," said Max, who then enters the bathroom.

As he does, Monica blushes at the thought of them both at the same room. She covers her red face, and slaps herself. _Get a grip, Monica! _she tells herself. _Remember, he already likes Claire_. But even though she knew this, she also thinks that Max kind of likes her. She manages to calm down, and she also began to change.

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She had just finished changing when Max came out. And as he does, Monica couldn't help but giggle. He was wearing pajamas with cute little bears all over them.

"Max, what are you wearing?" she asked as she holds her mouth to stop herself from giggling.

Max replied, "You like it? It's the last remembrance I got from my mother."

At that instant, she instantly stops from giggling. _Nice going, Monica. Now you look like a jerk..._, she thought. "Oh… Sorry, I was actually—"

"No, I'm the one who needs to apologize," Max interrupts. "I still have a mother and father, but you…"

He stops. He need not say anymore. She knows what he means. She tightens her fist hard and harder, as to stop the pain from going in further into her heart.

She pitied him, but all along, she was the one that needed pitying, and he does pity her.

They were both silent for a moment, when Max decided to change the subject. "Uh… What about you? What are you wearing?" Max asked. She was wearing some kind of nightgown-pajama combination. Max couldn't help but blush at the sight of it.

Monica recovered from her thoughts, and quickly covered herself with the bed's comforter. "M-Max, you aren't supposed to look at a girl's bed wear!"

"O-Oh! Sorry!" Max clumsily exclaimed. He lied down and replied to her, "Uh, I'm going to sleep now."

Monica just looked at him as he was lying down on his bed. _He was just trying to make me comfortable… Make me feel like I still had a family… _

And with that, she smiled, and lied down too. Max closed the lights, and they both tried to sleep.

**To be continued…**


	4. A Story

**CAUGHT IN-BETWEEN TWO WORLDS**

_Dark Cloud 2 _Fanfic

**Chapter 4: A Story----**

By The Several

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Monica tried to sleep. But somehow, something was keeping her awake. She tossed and turned, but she couldn't get to sleep.

"Hey, Monica," Max said from the other bed, his front lied to the bed with his arms crossed. "You can't sleep?"

Monica replied as she calmly scratches her head, "No… I don't know why. It's like, I feel like I'm missing something."

"Okay! Wanna hear a story then?" Max replied excitingly.

"Huh?"

"Once upon a time…" Max started.

"Hey, Max, are you making fun of me?" Monica suggested, her face pouting.

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_Once upon a time, there was a boy who was locked inside a town. It was a town who hasn't seen the outside world._

"…Max?" She looks at him. His face, calm, yet intense.

_This boy, has longed to see the outside world. He wanted to see the valleys, the ocean, the sea, but most of all… he wanted to find his mother._

_His mother left him at a very early age, a long time ago when he was very little. He wanted to go to the outside world, to see her again._

_Then one day, a strange destiny surrounded him. A legend surrounding 3 mysterious stones. Due to this event, he was finally able to set foot outside the walls that held him._

_He traveled the world, and on this journey, he met a girl with incredible inner strength. Together, they fought the evil that engulfed the world._

_Near the end of his travels, he finally found his mother, only to his surprise, she came from an era different from his. They could not be together._

_The boy's heart melted. This was the end of his happy travels, and his very purpose for seeing the world was for naught. Still, he did find her, and he was still happy to see her._

_But at the very end of his journey, he found something new to search for._

"Something new?"

_Yes… He doesn't know what it is, but he had a new goal. His only fear was that whatever he was finding for, would end up like her what happened to her mother._

"…Max?" Monica said with a more worried tone in her voice.

Max was silent. Monica could only hear quiet sobbing on his part. Something was stopping him from going on. Several minutes past, Max spoke.

"…We should get some sleep. We still need to get up early tomorrow."

Monica was silent as well. _Max has parents, but they're nowhere near for him... Is... he any different from me?_

"Monica?" Max suddenly but weakly says.

"Yes?"

Max turns around from his bed to face her. "If you're ever in trouble, I want you to call me."

Monica was confused, yet insulted. "What? Whatever trouble your talking about, don't you think I can handle it?"

"You can," Max replies. "Like I wanted to for my mother, I want to protect you too."

Monica became red, but she was a little offended. "Is it because I'm a girl? You ARE like the other guys!"

Max was silent. Monica stopped there as well. She didn't know what else to say.

"No," Max replies, his face a blank stare looking at an endless void. "Chauvinism and chivalry are two different things."

"Your too important to me, Monica," Max continued. "And I… don't want the same thing to ever happen again. I couldn't protect my mother…I couldn't be with her." Monica was just silent. "I hope with you, things can be a little different."

Max turned around away from her. Monica just sat there on her bed. She was too stunned to talk. She just looked at Max, at the sadness in his eyes.

…

_I am... important, Max?_

**To be continued…**


	5. Her and Her

**CAUGHT IN-BETWEEN TWO WORLDS**

_Dark Cloud 2 _Fanfic

**Chapter 5: Her and Her**

By The Several

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Monica wakes up the next morning, and finds that Max wasn't there anymore.

"He must've gone out," she says to herself. "Well, no point in staying in this huge house by myself!" She gets dressed up, runs out the door, and walks around town.

The sun was hardly in the sky. It was still the early morning. Monica walks up to the bakery store and buys some fresh bread to eat as she walks along. She considers taking notice of the town and its inhabitants, of how happy they're living. How opposite it was before in the future.

"Hmmm… I wish I could stay here…" she says to herself again. She doesn't realize though, that she was walking in the direction of the pond near the Zelmite Mines. She stops, and sees the person she wasn't expecting to see at this time. Claire.

Claire was on a bench facing the pond. Birds surround her person, as she feeds them seeds and berries of the sort. Monica walks towards her quietly, in a slow motion until she was directly behind the bench she was sitting on.

Although behind, she could see her face in profile as she turns her head to feed more birds. _Wow, she IS beautiful…_ Monica thought. _Such a kind, caring person… Similar to Max's personality. No wonder he likes her…_

Claire turns around from her bench, seeing the surprised look from Monica's face.

"You… must be Monica," said Claire in a voice that could soothe even the angels.

Monica gulped. "Yeah… That's me."

"Sit down beside me. Max has told me a lot about you," says Claire as she gestures her hand, offering Monica a seat beside her.

Monica reluctantly sits down. They were silent for a while, when Claire breaks the ice.

"I… take it you don't like seeing me," she says as she looks at Monica with a kind face.

"W-What are you talking about?" said Monica as she shakes her head. It was not the conversation she had expected.

Clair sighs, and puts her hands on her lap. She rests her head, closes her eyes, and then looks directly at Monica's own. She looks deeply in them, her bright eyes. Monica breaks from the stare, not knowing what any of what was happening means.

Claire looks at the bright sky. "I know you like Max. It's…. in your eyes."

"What are you talking about?" Monica replied. "I thought _YOU_ liked him!"

"I do," Claire softly said. "But so do you. The mere mention of his name brings redness to your cheeks. He… must be special to you."

Monica blushed. It was too obviously true to deny. "B…But Max likes you, not me."

"No," Claire interrupted, her face to the ground. "Whenever he's with me, he sees someone else… Someone… dear to him. Someone he's been looking for all this time."

"I liked him," Claire continued as she looked up, smiling, but with tears rolling down her eyes. "…But I guess someone beat me to him."

Monica was silent. She couldn't look at Claire directly, fearing she had offended her. "Don't worry," surprisingly continued Claire. "I'm not angry. I'm… just glad Max had finally found someone he really cares for."

Monica was about to reply. When suddenly, a dark cloud covered the morning sky. The feeling the cloud brought was oddly familiar and fatiguing. Its movement was bizarre, and it seemed to be heading towards the vicinity of the mines…

Monica got up. "Sorry, Claire," she said as she readied her sword. "But I have something to check out." She runs towards the direction of the mines, when suddenly she hears Claire from behind her.

"Monica," Claire said, with a serious tone in her voice.

Monica looks back. They were silent for a moment. Claire then smiled at her, "I've been with Max since we were little," she said. "And he's a very kind person."

Monica smiled too. "Yeah….. I know."

She then continues to run towards the direction of the Zelmite Mines….

**To be continued…**


	6. Dark Copy

**CAUGHT IN-BETWEEN TWO WORLDS**

_Dark Cloud 2_ Fanfic

**Chapter 6: Dark Copy----**

By The Several

**Author:** Wow, thanks for the numerous reviews, people! Yeah, I know, I write a lot of DC2 fanfics. Actually, after these latest 2, I still have more. Won't stop writing until I run out of ideas!

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Monica nears the mines, and as she runs to that direction, Max joins her.

"You saw it, too?" Max said, both of them not stopping.

"Yeah… But the question is, who is it? The feeling is so familiar, and yet… more powerful than what we've faced before."

Max readied his wrench. "Be careful inside. We don't know what we'll face."

Monica smirked. "Heh, more to you. I can take care of myself. YOU be careful."

Max laughed. "Yeah, I know…"

They reach the entrance to the mines, where dozens of miners run out.

"Everyone, evacuate the mines! A strange force has appeared, and it's too dangerous to stay here!" shouts Max to the moving crowd, waving his arms to signal them away from the mines. Several minutes pass, the crowd running from inside the mines died out.

"That must be all of them," said Monica. She readies her sword with a clink of steel. "You up for it?" she asks Max.

Max nodded. "Let's go." The two of them rushed inside, bravely facing the danger that perilously awaits them. They saved the world once, and well… why not make it twice in a row, right?

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Once away the boundaries of the bright light of the morn outside inside the mines, they stopped running. They walk synchronically, trying to avoid as much of an ambush as possible. They ready their weapons.

But their carefulness was in vain, for a huge dark abyss opens up below them, separating them and sucks them into what seemed like an endless void of darkness. For several minutes did they fall into that dark abyss, until they stopped abruptly, to unknown territory.

"Max?" Monica said from where she stood inside a hollow area unknown to her.

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"Monica?" said Max alone inside his own version of that hollow area where Monica was currently in. He tried to walk around and find a way out, but none was visible. He felt around the walls for marks of any kind that could lead him to freedom, but there was none. In fact, the whole area seemed to be one big nothing.

He sat down to rest and think for a few minutes. He thought about Monica's whereabouts, and if she was safe. He pounds the wall, creating an echo inside that what could be called a room. He curses himself on not being able to keep his promise to himself.

Then suddenly, a hole of pure black appears several meters away from him. But even at that distance, he could see the dark figure that arose from its depths. It was him.

"T-That's me!" said Max, surprised at the sight. Indeed it was him, only pure black in form. But even thought its blackness was complete, the figures could still be seen in its face and body. It was like a perfect black copy of his person.

The fake Max grinned evilly at his adversary, and with that remark, he charged towards our confused hero. Unfortunately for the copy, although confused, Max was battle ready. He blocked the copy's attack of its dark wrench with his own wrench. They back off a few feet away from each other to regain momentum. They both gripped their weapons tighter, and both knew, that the second round was about to begin.

Continuously did they parry each other's blows, but neither one has landed a succeeding blow on the other that could turn the tides of battle. The difference was, that the real one was getting tired. Very tired. And the weak blows that hit him were starting to add up, sending a massive muscle-ache in his body.

"Huff….Huff…" exhaled Max strongly, almost running out of breath. His opponent was still standing, not looking tired at all.

_Of course not_, thought Max. _Since when do fake copies ever not outlast the original? Monica must have the same opponent as I do, but she'd have probably defeated her copy moments before! I wonder… what would Monica's tactic be?_ He didn't have time for thought, though, as the dark copy unleashes another relentless attack. His skills were not only similar to Max's, they were perfectly executed and copied to perfection. The perfect clone.

But just then, it hit him. He figured out a way to beat it. At that moment, he parried the copy's attack, and deflected it to give him room. They were not a few feet away again.

Now, Max begins to change his stance. He wielded his wrench as if it were a sword. He's admired enough of Monica's skills to at least know how it's done.

The dark copy charges him again, but Max does a nimble back flip, giving him time to launch the perfect counterattack. He charged his weapon up, and instead of doing his usual whirlwind spin, he does a spin cycle, plunging his wrench into the ground with precise accuracy, stunning his opponent. The dark Max vaporized, but the battle had left Max heavily injured.

He sat down and leaned towards the wall. He was tired, really tired. _Huh, I bet Monica had beat her copy even before she was hit. I can never be equal to her strength_, he thought. _I could never protect her this way…_ Max then stopped thinking, and he quickly became unconscious.

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True to his guess, Monica had beaten her dark copy even before she broke a sweat. She still had tons of energy to go around, and she goes through a long passage revealed to her after her clone's defeat. At the very end of that passage, she sees the source. The source of everything. That very source they needed to stop.

Monica points her sword at her dark adversary. "You again."

**To be continued**


	7. Last Resort

**CAUGHT IN-BETWEEN TWO WORLDS**

_Dark Cloud 2 _Fanfic

**Chapter 7: Last Resort----**

By The Several

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"Dark Element, we meet at last!" Monica says as she points her sword towards the creature of the darkest of all impurities.

The Dark Element snickers. "How quickly you've forgotten, little mouse, that we've met before."

Monica grips her sword tighter. "No, I meant that this will be the very last time we'll ever meet!"

"Keh, keh, keh! You are extremely amusing, little girl," guffaws the evil being, at the same time summoning his own weapon from the dark ether. "But this WILL be the last time we'll meet… because you won't be seeing your tomorrow!"

"Keep trash talking, creep!" sneers Monica, readying her attack stance. "This will be over soon."

"Amusing remark, wretch!" replies the Dark Element. "But even you know that you won't be able to defeat me!"

_He's right_, thought Monica. _Both the Atlamillia bearers must be present to defeat him! Where the heck is Max?_

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Max rested against a wall, half unconscious, his whole body aching sore with pain and wounds. He didn't have enough strength to get up, much less go on. A path had opened up to him after his dark copy's defeat, but he didn't have enough strength to even crawl away.

Just then, a familiar sight shines in his view. It was Sirus, previously known as the evil Emperor Griffon. His ghostly form assembles close to him, floating in mid-air.

"Is… Is this a dream? ...Or am I dead?" Max says weakly. Even moving his mouth sent aching muscles ablaze with pain.

The spectre speaks. "No, your very much alive, Max. As for if this is a dream…. Well, I am...sort of similar to the sort."

"Max," Sirus continued, "You have to go on. The Dark Element that had once controlled me had risen again! And right this moment, Monica is battling him in vain. Without you, she is lost, and the dark entity will have gained another pawn."

Max gasped, shocked at what it meant. "Yes, Max," continued the spirit. "After he defeats her, he will use her to do his bidding. And now that the Dark Element's powers have grown stronger, the only way you'll be able to save her after she is possessed… is to kill her."

Max got up at that moment, his face intense and roaring fire burned in his heart. "No, I won't let that happen!" Max tries to walk towards the way, but he falls down. "Ghhhhahhhh, at this condition, I can do little help to Monica…"

Sirus moves to him and says, "I know of a way you can help Monica and defeat the Dark Element."

"Really, how?" Max says to him, much hope filled his body.

"I will give you a spell, that will instantly defeat the dark entity and rid everything of all his evil." Sirus paused. "Unfortunately, the user of this spell dies in the process. Don't think of using this spell unless as a last resort, and unless you are ready and willing."

Max was silent for a moment, and then replies, "…You can have it. I don't need it."

Sirus was surprised. As Max walks away, Sirus goes in front of him and states, "Don't you want to save Monica? This is your only chance!"

Max ignores him and continues walking. Sirus stares as he walks away. Max then turns around and then says, "Thanks, Sirus. Really. But no thanks. If Monica finds out I would use a spell that will kill me…" Max then laughed weakly. "…She'd kill me. She hasn't protected me all this time, just to see me die now. Besides…" Max said as he continues walking. "…If I'm going to save Monica, I want to live to enjoy her company. I want… to be with her." With that, he bravely walks away.

The spectre was speechless as he watches Max go to his destination. He smiles then, and says to himself, "Maybe that's why you are the chosen, Max..." With that, he disappears.

Max walks along the new corridor. He smirks and says to himself, "I know of a spell more powerful than any other in the world, Sirus. I'm sure you know what it is."

**To be continued…**


	8. Finale?

**CAUGHT IN-BETWEEN TWO WORLDS**

_Dark Cloud 2 _Fanfic

**Chapter 8: Finale?----**

By The Several

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The fight between the Dark Element and Monica had lasted half an hour. But without Max's red time ability, Monica do little damage to the dark creature. Remember that she needed both the blue time ability which she had, and the red time ability from the red Atlamillia's carrier, Max.

The Dark Element defeats her. He carries her by the head, lifting her from the ground. It cackles gloatingly at her sight. "Bwahahahaha! Pitiful human! I am more powerful than ever before! Did you really think that without that friend of yours you could really defeat me?"

Monica groans in pain, the damage the Dark Element had done to her was more than she had expected. She had bruises and cuts, and she had no strength left.

"Anyhow," the Dark Element continues, "you've always relied on him, haven't you?"

"W-What are you talking about?" Monica said, trying to convince herself this was just a trick.

The dark creature smiles menacingly. "It's simple…. You've always depended on that little boy since the beginning!"

"T-That's not true," Monica said, her eyes began to water, from the pain and from his insults.

The creature of darkness laughed loudly. "And that's not all… You've also been taking credit for all he's done! How ruthless for a so-called 'friend'!"

"No! You're lying! You're lying!" she shouts at him. "You're…. lying…" Monica weakened more and more. She doubted even herself.

"That's enough!" Max suddenly shouted from far away. His voice, although from a distance, had a clear tone of anger.

"M…. Max…." Monica mutters as she becomes unconscious.

Max runs towards the dark demon, and then stops several feet from him. "You've been feeding her so many lies, you jerk! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

The Dark Element only cackled some more. "Keh, keh, keh…. Don't tell me you don't believe what I said, human…. You've done that too."

"W-What do you mean?"

"Acting all nice to impress her… when you've actually really hated her for taking all the glory!" the Dark Element says at he throws those words in his face.

"Enough lies!" Max said, resisting listening to his insults. "Unhand her, and I might let you go!"

The Dark Element only holds her tighter. "Did you say 'I might?'…. Keh! Keh! Keh! How violent you've become!"

"Please…" Max said, half crying. The sight of his enemy, and of Monica made his sad. He wanted this to stop. "You've done enough. Let her go."

The Dark Element shakes its head. "No, I think I'll keep her. Her strength will do me good… after I possess her soul and darken her spirit!"

Max caught the Dark Element unaware, as he slashes its hand with his wrench. The demon backs up, releasing his hostage. Monica dropped to the ground, the fall making her only half unconscious now.

Max wanted to go see how Monica was, but he couldn't afford to take his eyes of his deceiving adversary. The Dark Element looks at where Max hit him, and laughs, even more annoyingly than before.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!… You actually hit me. But without the blue time ability, you cannot damage me for long!"

"And besides," the dark beast continued, "aren't you happy I wasn't going to kill her? In fact, I change my mind…. Instead of possessing her, I'll just erase all her memories!"

"Don't you even dare, foul beast!" Max replied as he picks up Monica's sword. "Memories make us up for who we are… without them, we are nothing! Max then stares angrily at the dark spirit. "Even you need memories, Dark Element!"

"And," Max continues as he faces Monica who was lying on the ground half unconscious, "if that happened... you won't be able to remember me, Monica…"

The Dark Element paused, and then predictably, laughed as hard as last time. "What a touching moment! You've entertained me far more than I expected, pests!" The Dark Element then raised his staff, and began to summon Dark Fiends – more creatures of darkness to do his bidding. "In fact, you've given me an idea for my next dark deed… But this game had gone on long enough! Attack him, my beasts!"

Max, armed with his own wrench and Monica's sword, plunged head on into the sea of dark creatures the Dark Element had summoned against him. He tricks the Dark Element by acting like he was concentrating his offense on the summoned fiends, but he was actually heading straight for him by ignoring as much of the fiends as possible. He was able to get a good blow with Monica's sword at the Dark Element's glowing sphere in the chest. The Dark Element keels in pain.

"Gwaaaah! No…. You weren't supposed to hurt me… you don't have the blue time ability!… Unless… That sword!" gasped the dark creature.

Max smirked. "Good guess, Dark Element, but not quite true. It's not the sword… Even half-unconscious, Monica's still willingly lending me her power… And with it, the blue time Atlamillia's energy!"

Max then aimed Monica's sword with a spark of steel towards his opponent. "You've hurt enough and caused enough suffering, dark creature! It's done!" Max then moves in for the final strike.

He makes the swing with both weapons at his dark foe, zapping the Dark Element with both red and blue energies of light. The Dark Element appeared to vaporize, but it cackled, "Kaaaaahhhh...It's not over, Maximillian…. Not over yet…"

------------------------

Monica slowly opens her eyes, as if awakening from a dream or from a deep sleep. As she does, her eyes view Max's face, hovering over her own. They stare at each other for a few minutes, and then Monica gets up.

"Well. So you defeated him, huh? How long was I unconscious?"

Max shook his head and then said, "You were never unconscious, Monica. You were right beside me all along while I was fighting."

Monica tried to recall for a minute and then replied, "Yeah… I was."

Max then knelt with one leg and smiled at her. "For that…. and everything, thanks… Princess Monica."

Monica then helped him up saying, "Well, feeling knight-like, are we? Is that why you wanted to protect me so badly?"

Max then stared at her for a second and then shyly said, "Well, um… It's not the only reason…." Monica stopped him there. They then began to walk towards the exit of the mine.

As they walked towards the light of outside, Monica remarked, "Well then, consider yourself promoted…. Prince Max."

**THE END**

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**Author's Note:** _To some and probably not to others, it might feel like a lot's left out. And Dark Element's still alive, right? Well actually, I'm creating a sequel to this. What the story's about is already hinted in this chapter. You don't need to read this whole fic to understand it, just so you know. Anyway, that's the end of it! **Thank you, everyone!**_

_And Pug Dragonis right: I cannot resist the cookie._


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